Real Madrid News
Pep Guardiola in awe of Real Madrid midfielder: “Too good for his age”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has jokingly said that Jude Bellingham is so good that he might be lying about his age.
While speaking to Telefoot (h/t Madrid Xtra), the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager said that at 20 years of age, Bellingham is too good.
“Jude Bellingham? Maybe he’s a liar… he’s too good for his age,” he said about the midfielder.
Manchester City had almost snapped Bellingham
Towards the end of the 2022/23 season, it was believed that Manchester City would end up signing Bellingham in the summer transfer window.
Back then, the recent treble winners were branded the favourites to land the midfielder after Liverpool had backed away from the transfer due to financial reasons.
Now, Real Madrid’s interest was imminent, but City had been steadily building their confidence in securing Bellingham’s services. Their pursuit was motivated by concerns about the enduring commitment of Ilkay Gundogan, who eventually ended up joining Barcelona.
City’s relationship with Dortmund troubled Real Madrid
City had fostered a positive rapport with Dortmund following the successful acquisitions of Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji in the previous year. This relationship served as a compelling factor that bolstered their optimism in the pursuit of Bellingham.
This history of fruitful transactions not only showcased City’s financial prowess but also highlighted their commitment to maintaining a fruitful working relationship with the German club.
However, as Real Madrid’s interest grew, the player began to lean towards a move to La Liga instead and in June 2023, he secured a permanent transfer to the Spanish capital on a six-year contract, with Real Madrid paying €103 million, potentially rising to €133.9 million due to add-ons for his services.
Upon signing, the 20-year-old paid homage to his idol and former Real Madrid midfielder Zinedine Zidane by deciding to wear the number 5 shirt.
Aurelien Tchouameni has had an exciting start to his career at Real Madrid. Since joining the club for almost €80 million last summer, the young Frenchman has now become a pivotal figure in Real Madrid’s midfield unit.
However, prior to his move to Santiago Bernabeu, the midfielder was closely linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
In a recent interview, Tchouameni opened up on his links to PSG but revealed his decision to join Real Madrid.
Aurelien Tchouameni on PSG links
Talking about speculations linking him to PSG, Tchouameni said (h/t Madrid Zone), “PSG? Frankly, I thought about it. It’s a very big European club, we want the French clubs to succeed.”
“But honestly, when Real Madrid calls you, it’s very complicated to say no,” Tchouameni added.
The midfielder was linked with a move to PSG during his time at AS Monaco. Les Parisiens wanted to sign the youngster as part of their plans to reinforce the midfield unit.
Tchouameni, though, ended up opting for a move to Real Madrid, which turned out to be a prudent decision from the midfielder’s end.
Tchouameni’s career at Real Madrid
Aurelien Tchouameni made a total of 50 competitive appearances during his maiden season at Real Madrid.
Although the Frenchman was not entirely a first-team regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s setup, his stature in the team is expected to grow in the coming years.
Especially as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric move on at the end of the season, there is scope for Tchouameni to become a first-team regular in the Real Madrid midfield in the years to come.
The former AS Monaco starlet has already played a crucial role in the starting eleven so far this season and it is only going to continue as the season progresses.
